Dirigible headlight



Sept. 19, 1933.

D. M. ERVIN DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VEZYTOR,

A TTORNE YS.

Sept. 19, 1933. D, M. ERIVIN 1,927,232

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT Filed Sept. 1, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR,

A TTORgVE YS.

Patented Sept. 19, 1933 1 1,927,232

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application September 1, 1981. Serial-No. 560,544

4 Claims. (01. 240-432) My invention relates, in general, to the class of than the other to reach its proper relative angudirigible headlights; and in particular, to that larity. type in which the beams of a pair of headlights In the accompanying drawings I have illuscross each other as the vehicle turns, in order to trated the invention in its preferred form, though more effectually illuminate those road areas it is to-be understood that changes may be made which would otherwise be left in shadow. without departing from the spirit of the inven- My' invention, briefly stated, comprises a pair tion as defined in the claims hereunto appended. of angularly adjustable headlights, adapted nor- Fig. 1 is a front View of an automobile, showmally to project their beams in parallel lines diing in general outward appearance the presence 10 rectly forward in the straight road; and means of my dirigible headlights.

actuated bythe steering connections of the ve Fig. 2 is a plan, partly in section of the actuhicle adapted, to turn the headlights in unison ating mechanism of the dirigible headlights indito such an angle to each other that their beams eating a right hand turn of the road. will cross on both right and left hand road turns, Fig. 3 is a similar view to Fig. 2, showing the n 15 that headlight which, due to the direction of the mechanism in position indicating a left hand turn road curvature, right or left, is the outer one, of the road. turning at a higher rate of speed than the other, Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one of the housing in order to reach a greater angle which will enable cases for the actuating levers, showing the attach its beams to fall more effectively. upon the shorterment of one of the dirigible headlights. 2O radius side of the road curve. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing an ex- From the foregoing, the object of the invention ample of the relative angles of the dirigible headwill be readily understood, namely, to more effeclight beams, and their effect. tively and to a greater extent light the entire In Fig. 1 an automobile 1 is indicated, having road, illuminating all shadows and dark spots, front, axle 2, front wheels 3, fenders 4, and the A 25 out to the utmost side line borders of the field of usual pair of fixed headlights 5.

vision, on both right and left hand road turns. 'R eferring now to Fig. 5, the road A is shown In the brief statement of the nature of my as making a right hand turn. The lines a crossinvention as given above, I would direct atten-. ing from thedirigible headlights 6 subtend, for tion especially to the feature of the outer head-, example, an arc of 140 and indicate the maxi-' 30 light of the dirigible pair, traveling at a higher mum angle of lighting. The angle of the wheel,

rate of speed than the inner headlight, in order shown by the line 1), indicates an angle of 17. to reach its proper dirigible angle relatively to the The angle of the right light, indicated by the other headlight without regard to the direction of line 0, is 30, and the angle of the left light, the road curvature, that is to say, on both turns, shown by the line d is 47. The line e indicates 35 right and left, because it is in this feature that the maximum line of vision, and between this line t e ost Complete ing of both sides-of the and the line a is an area lighted beyond the field road results. I am, of course, aware of the genof vision. eral dirigibility of headlights, and that it is not Assuming that'these are the positions of the new to separately turn one or the other of a pair dirigible headlights 6 upon the given right hand 400f headlights t pposite sides according to the turn, and reversed upon a similar left hand turn, direction of the curve, so that its beams will cross and that both lights are actuated in unison by the forwardly projected beams of the other headthe steering mechanism of the vehicle, the follight; fi a y, I am awa e of e disclosu lowing effects are predicated, to wit:that upon in the prior art of a pair of auxiliary headlights the straight road the lights normally have par- --0f fiXed relative a y the beams of which allel beams, while upon curves both right and left permanently cross, said auxiliary headlights betheir beams cross-at independent relative rates, i Separately lighted and used y On a ve, with the result that both sides of the curve and being cXtinguiShed pon the Straight road because center of the road are lighted from in front of Of their fi d yt, in 110 case have I the vehicle to a point beyond the field of road found any provision for causing a pair of dirigible vision, 7 headlights according to the direction of the road Also that upon right hand curves the left light turn to mov in ni to pp i relative uwhich lights the right part ofthe road must neclarity in order to project their beams to both sides essarily angularly move at a greater rate than of the road, nor any provision for causing either the right light, because therate that the right 55 of said pair to travel at a higher rate of speed side of the roadturns away from the driver is gretaer than the rate the left hand side approaches; while upon a left hand curve the right light angularly moves at a greater rate than the left light.

Thus, it will be seen, that by the angular movement in unison of the pair of dirigible lights in relation to the angle of the turning of the car, and at independent angles with each other, their beams cross and thus the entire road of the curve is lighted from left edge to right edge.

The actuating mechanism will now be described, reference being made to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, with a brief initial reference to Fig. 1. In this latter figure, is shown a housing member in the form of a tube '7 which is mounted upon a cross bar 8 of the vehicle frame by means of the hinged brackets 9, adapting the headlights 6 for such angular vertical adjustment as may be necessary.

Upon each end of the housing tube '7 is fitted a casing 10, in which is mounted a rotatable shaft 11, the upper projecting end of which is fitted with a bracket 12, which carries the headlight 6, as seen in Fig. 4.

Within the casings 10 are the interconnected differentially pivoted toggle lever systems for the, differential angular movement of the two lights 6.

Specifically, these systems, comprise the arm 13 of the lightv axis 11, the link 14 articulated between said arm v13 and an arm 15, the other end of which is fixed to a rotatable shaft 16 mounted in the casing 10 and having its projecting end connected with the turning lever 17 which is itself connected with the rod 18 comprised inthe steering mechanism (not shown) of the vehicle. Between the joint of the link 14 and arm 15 in each casing 10, and passing through the housing tube 7, extends the longitudinally adjustable tie rod 19.

Thus by the movement of the turning lever 17,

under the steering efiect of the vehicle, the headlights 6 .are angularlyadjusted in unison, but on account of the relatively different pivotal positions of the actuating toggles one or the other of said lights, according to the direction ofthe road curve, will turn at a-faster rate and arrive at. a different angle from the other, so that their beams will cross as the vehicle turns from the straight road, and will recross as it turns back into the straight road; and, finally, by providing that this difference in relative angularity be effected by thegreater speed rate of that light which follows the outer arc of the road curve, its beams will illuminate fully the inner road-arc, as hereinbefore mentioned, up to and beyond'the l line of vision.-

. In Fig. 2 which indicates in full lines the position of the actuating mechanism in a right hand curve; and in dotted lines its position in the straight'road, the broken beam lines indicate the differential angularity of the two lights; and the same is true of Fig. 3 which illustrates positions for a left hand curve.

I claim:---

1. Dirigible headlights for vehicles comprising a pair of horizontally spaced headlights, angularly turning in unison, under control of the vehicle steering connections; and means actuated by said steering connections on both right and left hand road curves for turning said pair to cross their beams and cause either member of said pair according to the direction of said curve to assume an angle different from that of the other member.

2. Dirigible headlights for vehicles comprising apair of horizontally spaced headlights angularly turning in unison under control of the vehicle steering connections; and means actuated by said steering connections for adjusting said headlights in unison to cross their beams on both right and left road curves and turning that member of said pair which according to the direction of road curvature is the outer one, at a higher rate of speed relatively to the turning speed of the other member, whereby the relative angularity of the two members has a different coefiicient.

3. Dirigible headlights for vehicles comprising a pair of horizontally spaced headlights, angularly turning in unison, under control of the vehicle steering connections; and means actuated by said steering connections for turning said pair to cross their beams on both right and left hand road curves and turning either member of said pair according to the direction of said curve to an angle different from that of the other member, said actuating means comprising differentially pivoted toggle-lever systems, a tie member connecting said systems for simultaneous opera- 7 tion', and a lever connection of one of said systems with the steering mechanism of the vehicle.

4. Dirigible headlights for'vehicles comprising a pair of horizontally spaced headlights angularly turning in unison under control of the vehicle steering connections; and means actuated by said steering connections for adjusting said headlights in unison to cross their beams on both right and left hand road .curves and turning, during adjustment, that member of said pair which according .to the direction of road curvature is the outer one, at a higher rate of speed relatively to the turning speed of the other member, whereby the relative angularity of the two members has a different coeiiicient, said actuating means com prising differentially pivoted toggle-lever systems; a tie member connecting said systems for simultaneous operation, and a lever connection of one of said systemswith the steering mechanism of the vehicle.

. DWIGHT M. 'ERVIN. 

